SWNS
Identical twin undergoes two hair transplants so hairline matches sister’s – and it cost her £5.5k
A woman desperate to have the same “perfect” hairline as her identical twin sister has spent £5,500 on TWO hair transplants – which have transformed her life. Rebecca Chadwick, 29, went ahead with procedures to help boost her confidence after comparing her receding hairline to her sister’s. She first noticed the difference when she was 18 when she began to notice the subtle differences between her and her sister. After much research, in January 2016 she underwent her first hair transplant to “round out” her hairline. She followed this with another procedure in March 2022 to give her a properly formed widow’s peak. The consultant is now speaking out to educate people and “change the narrative” about the cosmetic procedure and normalize it for women. Rebecca, a consultant from Derby, said: “There was something about my face that I was struggling with.” “I have an identical twin sister and her line is very symmetrical, but mine looked like she wasn’t formed correctly.” “I started focusing too much on my appearance and it was all I could see when I looked in the mirror. “When I turned twenty, I started focusing more on my appearance to improve my confidence. “I came across a random post on Instagram from someone who had undergone a hair transplant.” She had researched Turkey as an option, but her method was more outdated and invasive. “From the research I did, I found that UK clinics made it look more natural. “It was a lot of research because they are much more common in men. “I would like one more hair transplant because you can’t get it.” the fullness. “I’m not trying to look like my sister, but she is my reflection. Over the years, it has amounted to quite a bit of money, but now when I look back at photos from when I was younger, I can say that I wasn’t sure.” Now I am, and I attribute it to spending money on my appearance. “My sister was just like everyone else at first, and she thought it was a small thing.” But now, when I show her my before and after photos, she “understands the importance of this.” After noticing her receding hairline during her teenage years after noticing a difference between her and her sister, Rebecca began “seriously” considering hair transplants in 2016, aged just 22. She quickly decided she had no options. abroad and finally decided on a clinic in Lenton, Nottingham, for her surgery. Rebecca sent photos of her hairline before scheduling a consultation in December 2015. “The first one I paid up front with savings, and the second one I paid with finances and it’s paid monthly,” she explained. “I’m still paying for it, I have two years of payments left. “A good surgeon will always tell you the risks, but the main complications were the risk of infection or the body could reject your own hairs and they don’t grow or grow, but that’s very queer. “We talked about my expectations and whether they were realistic. “Then, if I were willing to proceed, I could schedule the appointment with a consultant for the procedure.” Just a few weeks after her initial consultation, Rebecca attended her first hair transplant appointment on January 6, 2016. Rebecca said: “I went alone in a taxi there and back both times as it is a less serious procedure. “I was ready to have it done after my research. ”My first procedure lasted only two hours! “That day, the surgeon marks the area and the hair donor area to be taken from the back. It’s in the middle of your head so you can cover it with your hair. “For men who are balding on top, they take it from the back of the head, but for women they just take a line from the center of the head to the back so they don’t have to shave the donor area. ”The surgeons then took the hair follicles and inserted them. at the hairline. “I had 800 follicles inserted and it cost me £2,500. “You can’t wash your hair for a few days because it needs to heal, and about 10 days later the hair will fall out before slowly growing back. “When you first get home, you have to spray your hair with salt water solution every one to two hours for the first week after you get it done. “You have to keep it wet, because if it dries then your hair dries out. “After that, the first time you wash your hair you have to use baby shampoo and use a cup to pour the water. “You have to wash it carefully for the next two weeks and you can’t go swimming for a month. “I was a little worried about people’s judgment as it was a very small area I had done. “I took some time off from work afterwards, but I came back pretty quickly. “Naturally, I told people and it was fine.” About three years after her first transplant, Rebecca noticed that there were other differences that she was not happy with. “When the hair started growing after the first one, I thought ‘why doesn’t this side of my face still look symmetrical,'” she said. “That’s when I realized my widow’s peak wasn’t formed properly.” and needed some filler.” “In March 2022, she had another surgery at the same clinic, which saw 800 follicles inserted into her widow’s peak, costing £3000. Rebecca’s latest procedure has already grown up to the ear, but still not long enough to tuck behind. “I just started noticing how fuller and thicker it looks,” she said. “You can tell if you’ve had it done because the hair is thicker in the back than in the front. “When you’re done, you can hear them inserting the hair so it’s a little gross, and then it looks like you have a painful bruise “. Rebecca’s surgeon informed her that many women get hair transplants if they don’t like the size of their forehead, as it can be a way to correct it, as do transgender women. By sharing her hair transplant journey on TikTok, there are often women who come up and say they “didn’t know it existed.” Rebecca said: “Some people react and say, ‘you don’t need it’ or ‘there are so many other ways you can spend your money.’ “What I’ve noticed in office gossip is men talking about it. “When I tell them, ‘Actually, I already got one,’ they’re genuinely curious about it all. “I like to educate people more and change the narrative. “It’s normal to have conversations about lip fillers, but not this.” To other women who are considering having a hair transplant, Rebecca encourages them to do it. She said: “If you’ve done enough research and don’t just go for the cheapest option, you can also try different options on a budget. My confidence has definitely improved, it’s allowed me to pursue jobs I wouldn’t do before. I haven’t done that in the past. “Since approving my appearance, I’ve found the confidence to be more assertive and stand up for myself too. “I would like to have a little more volume in my hairline, so I would look into getting another hair transplant in the next year or so.”